‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘This Sorrowful Life’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say that redemption and forgiveness are two pillars of the foundation of modern society, and it makes sense as to why. After all, humanity genuinely believes that our ability to understand our actions and their impact, is one of the big reasons that we have progressed so far as a species. So, to abandon those elements, and give into anger and poor choices… would make us no better than the animals we lord over and that is precisely why we are taught to say we are sorry, and mean it, when we screw up, and why we should keep good people with good moral codes around us. So that we can quickly and easily own up to our mistakes and be guided by the right voices when we aren’t sure if we are in the wrong. 
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In fact, we fear the idea of regression so much, that we tend to shun those without remorse and cut them out of our lives and we genuinely fear what the world would look like without these virtues. Which does beg, some imaginative questions. Specifically, what would the world look like without those pillars and if it did mean that we would slide back into something primal… would we be able to find redemption in any form? If anything, those questions are important to our discussion today, simply because they were addressed in the next episode of The Walking Dead. For ‘This Sorrowful Life’ not only makes it clear that yes, we would regress without those pillars, but that we could find redemption at the end of everything, provided some key acts and moments came into play.

In that, we would need an act of genuine kindness to come our way and we’d need a moment of inflection. So that we could objectively come to understand that we are on the wrong path, and that we are better than chaos and mayhem and if we can ground ourselves in what is right again… we can in fact find redemption in the darkest of times and be a great person once more and that lesson came about… by way of Merle Dixon’s journey here. Because being treated with kindness by the group and being able to reflect upon the past year and his time with the Governor, allowed for him to find his way back and do the right thing for a change. To the point where he put doubt in Rick’s mind over handing over Michonne and he of course… didn’t go through with such an act so that he could find redemption in his soul and forgiveness as well.

Which was a beautiful arc for Merle to travel in this tale, one that could have taken his character to new heights, had his journey of discovery in a world where all seems lost… not ended in such a harrowing manner. Because despite finding redemption in this tale and heroism even, since he went right after the Governor and his lieutenants in a brave and violent manner… he never got to see what would become of his change of heart. For Philip was quick to punish Merle in the worst way possible, by killing him and letting him turn so that Daryl would be forced to put down his own zombified brother. But while that is indeed a tough end to a long and winding journey toward the light, at least there’s comfort to be found in knowing that Merle found the right path at the end.

If anything, this is simply a powerful and beautiful tale when all is said and done. Since it speaks volumes to the fact that while we will sometimes lose our way in life and make poor choices in doing so… we can in fact, come back from the darkness, regardless of the circumstances. Which is one hopeful message for certain, one that the show would play with multiple times down the line. To serve as a reminder that life is full of peaks and valleys and that we are ever evolving and changing and fighting to be better and it was quite amazing to see a man as lost as Merle, live up to that mantra, regardless of the outcome. And now that this bittersweet journey has ended, it does leave one to wonder if there’s a deeper meaning waiting for us in the season three finale. The kind that only a re-watch can unlock. Until next time.

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